A new spin on social media has gained rapid popularity this year through an app called BeReal. Alexis Barreyat, a former employee of GoPro, created this social media app in 2020 with an emphasis on the authenticity of the user. Since then, BeReal has become a well-known platform for sharing photos daily. 

Once a day, BeReal simultaneously sends every user a randomly timed notification encouraging them to share a photo of themselves and their immediate surroundings. Users are then given a two-minute window of time to share a visual depiction of what they are doing at that moment. This post is known as a “BeReal.” Users can scroll through their feed and see what their friends are up to, and “react” to their posts. 

Levi Loomis-Adams, a senior at Delta High comments on his feelings toward the app and says, “It’s fun to see what your friends are doing all the time.” 

Sophie Dillon, a junior who has not downloaded BeReal, has a slightly different opinion. 

“I think it’s an interesting way to connect with your friends, however […] when you do it, people can like compare and say like ‘Oh, my friends are with other friends and they didn’t invite me,’ but I guess that’s the point with like all social media,” states Dillion. 

When the notification goes off, many students can be seen throughout the day pulling out their phone to quickly take a BeReal; Others are seen posting late, often pulling out their phone long after the two-minute window has closed to snap a picture. 

When Junior Kate Hooper was asked about what she does in reaction to the app’s notification, she said she jumps up and down and tells everyone around her that “BeReal went off.” Other students often have similar reactions. 

Loomis-Adams says, “I have a little moment of panic, and then I start going to other people and thinking, ‘Hey, what are we going to do for our BeReal?’ The other day the closest person I saw was my secretary, Carla […] I had Carla take my photo [of me] being held in my friend’s arms.”

Because the app encourages users to “be real” in what they are doing at that exact moment, there is a lot of division between those who post authentically versus those who wait for the “right moment,” and choose to forgo the time constraints. Loomis-Adams claims he is one of the least real people on BeReal. 

“I make everything a bigger deal than it is on the app. I’m never doing what I would be doing. I’m not necessarily a liar but…” Loomis-Adams confesses. 

While some, like Loomis-Adams, enjoy posting more curated BeReals, others think it is more enjoyable to simply post within the allotted time. Hooper is a firm believer in posting immediately. 

“I get really kind of annoyed when people wait until they’re doing something fun to post their BeReal because I think the best part about it is to post what you’re doing [in] two minutes, at that exact time,” says Hooper.

When asked about the app’s attempt at breaking away from typical platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, State High students had a lot to say. While many agreed that it is a good step away from normal social media, the general feeling is that BeReal is still not entirely successful in the creator’s intentions of being more transparent. 

“It’s a good step towards promoting authenticity,” Loomis Adams said, though he still believes work needs to be done to move further from the general standard of social media.

Dillon has similar thoughts, explaining that she believes people have started to use BeReal as just another social media app when they choose not to take their photos at the given time.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, let me wait until I’m doing something cool’,” Dillion says. 

With the popularization of BeReal, it’s clear that there’s a lot of excitement. Whether or not BeReal is successful in its attempts at breaking away from social media norms, many students continue to find enjoyment in the daily notifications and two-minute windows of time.